


Balancing the Force

by ebealer505



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), TLJ, Tfa, The Last Jedi, star wars the last jedi
Genre: Dark, F/M, Gen, Grey Jedi, Kessel, Kylo Ren - Freeform, Kylo Ren Redemption, Other, Rey - Freeform, Star Wars - Freeform, ben solo redemption, light - Freeform, slave - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-02-28 00:15:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13259577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebealer505/pseuds/ebealer505
Summary: This fanfic takes place between The Force Awakes and The Last Jedi and during tlj and after. The OC named 36 has always heard the voice calling to her, teaching her to survive and leading her to find peace. 36 came from a terrible childhood and became a slave on Kessel.  The voice calls to her, telling her that the time has come to leave Kessel and help bring back the balance. She will be the final link to help bring Rey and Kylo Ren together to bring peace to the universe. Both struggle to resist the pulls to the dark and the light so they need someone to bring them together to balance this. 36 was chosen to end this war between the Rebels and the First Order by helping Rey to bring back Ben Solo to restore the peace. 36 is the most powerful force sensitive person to ever live yet she doesn't know anything about the war being fought or what the force truly is. Not only will she restore the peace but she will also need help finding her way to restore her inner peace. She is grey, not choosing a side but using both to help end this war.**First Star Wars Fanfic** so im still learning and researching, any comments would help, thanks. Will have more than 30 chapters.





	1. Chapter 1

36 peered into the dark, searching for movement. In exactly twenty minutes the shift would be over, and she could return to her quarters for sleep cycle. She listened, nothing but the echos of the wind greeted her. A sly grin appeared. She was alone, those dangerous creatures had moved on. She sighed and climbed down from the ladder. The familiar cold metal rungs were a comfort after being up in the air for most of the shift. She was a slave on Kessel, mining glitterstim for the oppressive cartel that controlled the mines. A bead of sweat trailed down her face but she quickly wiped it with her head scarf. She carefully lowered herself onto the ground and made her way towards the dumping grounds to dispose of her hull. Each night they would mine and mine until they almost passed out. She was use to this harsh and demanding environment though after spending nine years imprisoned here.

When 36 first arrived on this forgotten planet she was only seven years old. Originally born on Ryloth, she had all but forgotten that time in her life because it seemed like it was so long ago. She lost her family, friends, and everything she knew and loved in that terrible place. At only seven she watched her parent die at the hand of terrible people in white armor. She didn't know who they were or why they were on the planet, they just took everything and killed everyone. Her brother and her managed to escape but didn't make it far. She watched him perish as well. Now alone, she fled to a transporter vehicle being loaded with survivors. She begged them to help her parents and brother, but no one would listen to her. They took her aboard that transporter and sent her with the others to Kessel. It was then she first heard the voice. It called to her in a soft and inviting tone. It was barely a whisper,36 had almost disregarded it. "Child... all will be well. Trust." Then it vanished. 36 looked around, confused, as no one spoke to her but she heard the voice. This was just the beginning for her. 

Not realizing she had stared off into the distance, she shook her head and took a breath. Looking around once more, she headed to the dumping grounds. She ignored the others there who deposited of their hulls, no one was her friend. She was alone here, mostly because the other slaves thought she was crazy. She would talk in her sleep and talk to herself, never denying that these instances occurred. She spoke to the voice often but rarely heard a response. It was a comfort for her, to have someone to confide in and communicate with even if it is just a faceless voice. The voice had always been there for her to protect her but no one believed it existed when she spoke about it. Her fellow bunk mates would constantly crack jokes about her crazy conversations she had in her sleep. In her sleep, she would dream about strange people, strange places, but always the same ones. It was as if she was watching someone else's life from a distance and could never interject. Although she didn't know these people or the places they visited, she felt she knew them on a personal level almost. She had watched the joyous and tragic moments in their lives but couldn't share this with anyone. The voice offered no explanation either.

Caught up in her thoughts once more, 36 returned from dumping her hull. She entered the fresher to wash away the night's shift. The floor of the fresher turned a familiar brown as the substances were washed away. She felt this was the only time that she could truly be alone with her thoughts. Once she finished rinsing off, she quickly redressed in her uniform. As a mining slave, all were required to wear black, long sleeved tunics, long black pants, and a head scarf wrapped around to protect the face. Night vision goggles were also worn to see since the only way to mine the spice was in the dark. This was to prevent unwanted conflict with the energy spiders, as they would usually not attack unless light was shown on them or you threatened them. That's why most do not survive long on Kessel. Either dying to the spiders, the harsh elements, or to fatigue. Slaves were only fed twice a day with quarter rations and were allowed one canteen of water per day. They lived in the dark and died in the dark. Once dressed and clean, 36 made her way back to the sleeping bunks. The cycle would start soon, so she would have just enough time to attempt to call upon the voice. No one else in the bunk room was there yet so she could do this in peace. "Hello, are you there?" She didn't get a audible response, but the familiar presence enveloped her. She sighed, "Will I ever escape this place Voice?" This was the age old question she asked each day.

There was a long pause before she received a response. "Soon. Have Patience.The time is coming. They will need you." It said in a whisper. 36 looked confused, mouth opening slightly. " What do you mean? Who needs help? How soon is soon?" But there came no response. The familiar presence left her alone once more. With this she bundled up her makeshift pillow, adjusted her goggles for sleep cycle, and fell into a deep sleep.


	2. It's Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, I will try to keep this updated every other day or so. I'm about to start my next semester at college so I'll have no time at all lol. I will try though to keep posting chapters.

           Sleep cycle should have brought a peaceful rest but instead 36 was bombarded with the dreams. She had started having the dreams about the boy and the girl when she first arrived at Kessel. Just like the voice, she couldn't really interact with the dreams. She watched from afar as the situations played out. Over the years she had come to know both of them fairly well despite never actually talking to them or them even knowing she existed. The dreams brought her comfort, much like the voice, in the sense that the two people could almost be considered her friends. The dreams were the reason why she didn't have any real friends on Kessel. Even though the planet was under the rule of the oppressive cartel and the miners were slaves and criminals, friendship was something most clung to on the desolate place. 36 was considered too weird, crazy, and young to be friendship material to most of the hardened criminals and lackluster slaves. She might not have friends here but she was well acquainted with most so she could have a conversation with a select few on the rare occasion. It was on Kessel where she learned to read, write, and speak multiple languages. After learning more about Basic, she went on to learn how to interpret shyriiwook from the Wookiees. She learned all she could about other languages and culture as a way to keep sane, but also as a way to barter and trade. It was a savage, dark, and lonely life to live, especially for a child, but it was the only way she knew. 

           When she slept each sleep cycle, the dreams would come. She dreamed of foreign places far away and strange and interesting people. The voice showed her things during this time that it said would help her in the future. She never really understood why she was being shown the dreams or what they meant, but she always remembered them. The two people, boy and girl, were always lonely and never quite fit in the places they ended up. The boy rarely had a changing scene as he was on board some ship it seemed most of the time. The girl, however, was always on the move. She transitioned between ships and stations and planets as often as one would change their clothes. Sometimes she hears them call out to each other despite being so far apart in the universe. They are hostile towards one another for some reason that 36 never knew. The voice would only show her what she needed to see it seemed, and never explained what she saw. In the dreams she could feel their emotions and hear their thoughts. It was so intimate that she always felt like she was intruding on conversations that she shouldn't hear. But the voice always stressed how important it was to listen and learn from these two so I put up with it. 

          Sleep is never restful for 36. She wakes up feeling drained despite never waking up though the cycle. She knows she talks in her sleep, which is why she wears the scarf around her head. It was to help muffle the sounds a bit for the others and also so she wouldn't have to spend time each day putting it on and taking it off so much. She was one of the few miners there that slept with her goggles on. This was because the last time she saw the actual sun light from the surface was more than five years ago. She had become so accustomed to the dark that the light burned her eyes so she always wore her goggles as peace of mind. This also added to everyone's reason for not liking her and calling her weird and crazy. Each day bleed into the next on Kessel, where everyone mined in pitch black darkness until they too perished here. Most people don't last as long as 36 has. The miner who had been on the planet the longest had been brought there six years ago. 36 had been on the planet for nine years but had only been working in the mines for five years. The years had of course taken their toll on her like everyone else who had worked there. Starvation had almost taken her several times and getting lost in the mines left her stranded for three days without previsions. Now she always marks her path and brings extra water and rations just in case. She had just traded away her last ration earlier that night so now she would be without food for another couple of days. The voice had said it didn't matter, but to 36 this scared her. She had put all her trust in the voice because it had never led her astray. It would remind her to have hope and believe in it. And she would listen to it and follow along no matter how out there it was. 

         The dream she was in between the two people faded and she was surrounded by darkness. The voice called to her saying, "It is time. Prepare yourself." Covered in sweat and breathing harshly, 36 awoke well before the scheduled sleep cycle was set to end. She looked around confused as to why she woke up so suddenly. Never in all her time on Kessel had this happened. The voice had never stopped a dream before and had never woken her up. A dark chill washed over her causing her to shiver. She called out to the voice in question, "What's going on? Has something happened?" 

         She waited for a reply, sitting up on her small cramped bunk, peering into the darkness for a sign. It was then, suddenly she felt it. The coldest, loneliest feeling she had ever felt before. It felt as if someone have shoved ice straight into her heart. She clutched her chest, making sure she hadn't just been injured. It was a phantom pain, slowly disappearing. "What was that?" 36 asked the voice. "A disturbance. Your time is now come."          

      36, confused, asked, "What do you mean my time has come? What was the disturbance?" She was whispering now, fearing that if she spoke any louder her bunk mates would awake and threaten her. She waited once more for a response but heard nothing. She sighed and looked at the ground. What was going on?  She had never experienced this before and was confused and frightened. Normally, being enslaves on Kessel didn't allow for one to have feelings or get emotional. When you entered here all that went away. If you showed emotion that was weakness, and weakness got you and others killed. You couldn't afford to be scared or weak when trying to survive. 36 had pushed all those emotions away from her except in the dreams. In the dreams she could react  however she felt fit for the situation. Outside the dreams she couldn't let weakness show, she wouldn't survive if she allowed herself to be weak. 

The voice finally responded to her saying, "It is time to leave this place. They need you now, more than ever."  
"Who? When?" She desperately called out. "Keep trust and hope. You will bring them together and save them. You, alone, will bring back the balance. You will balance the force." What was the force, 36 thought. Who was she going to save? Was it those two people from the dreams? Would she really be leaving this wretched place? Would she ever meet the voice? These questions swirled around her head, giving her a headache. She rubbed her temples as she closed her eyes.  


When she opened them next, she was in an unfamiliar room. Dark glossy floors and slick gray walls lined the corridor. She inhaled sharply, looking side to side, quickly trying to ascertain where she was. This wasn't Kessel anymore, that she knew of. This strange foreign place had an odd sense of familiarity the longer she sat there. 36 stood up, searching around her for some explanation for what had just happened. "Where am I? Did you do this voice?" She asked. "You are where you need to be. He is coming soon, go to him. Help him find the way. Bring back the balance. Keep trust and hope." And with that 36 was left alone once more. Fear coursed through her, what would she do? How would she get out of here? What was the voice thinking??? She was so screwed if she got caught. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she failed to notice the two people in white armor walking towards her. Wide eyed, she turned and ran away from them. She heard them shouting and firing their blasters. Lucky for her they weren't the greatest at aiming because she managed not to get blasted as she out ran them. She blindly turned down different hallways, searching a place to hide and assess what her next move would be. Although she had outran the two people, she had walked right into the middle of a huge hanger full of people. They all seemed to notice her at the same time as the onslaught of shouts and firing rained down upon her. The first shot to hit her as she bobbed and weaved was a strange blue color. Not like those of the first two that chased her which were red. She heard someone say stun her. Now panicking, she jumped over some crates and turned down a hall. She began to feel the effects of the shots to her as her legs seemed to slow and her breathing seemed to escalate. She was getting tired and running out of options. She turned down another hall, using the last bit of energy she had she flung herself over the gap between two intersecting paths. She landed hard, feeling her knees give way. She stumbled and collapsed to the ground. Out of breath and out of time, she lay waiting as foot steps approached. She heard someone say in a deep demanding tone, "Take the intruder to the interrogation room." And with that she closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness.


	3. The Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all those reading this, sorry this update is so late. I just finished up the first week of the spring semester at university. I'll try to update more often than I have been. As always, keep trust and hope that I will publish the next chapter. 
> 
> Xxebealer505

          While being unconscious, 36 had a vision similar to her dreams. The boy and the girl were there, together, standing side by side. She looked around, trying to assess where she was. The one thing that she could differentiate was that this was not reality, it was a dream. But this wasn't like her other dreams in any regards. The boy and girl seemed to be at ease with one another, not fighting or arguing. This was odd, considering that since she had only seen them together a handful of times, they always seemed to resent one another.

          The dream was not in the same realm that the others had taken place. This place was referred to as the void by 36 on many occasions. Despite her seeing the two people there, it was dark, devoid of light entirely. There was only them though. Just the two people together in this dark place. She never heard them talking, just saw them gazing at each other. 36 didn't like the void. There was nothing here for her, it was like she was trapped between places. The boy and girl never saw 36 there, it was as if she didn't exist at all. Sometimes the dream would last for what felt like hours and other times it was no more than a few minutes. She rarely went to this place, and never of her own free will of course. The Voice always sent her here to observe them. She never knew why or how, but that's just how things went when the Voice was involved. 

         This time, however, the dream wasn't the same as before. If she dreamed about the boy or girl, it was usually them on their own. If they were together in the dream, it was in the void. This time the boy and girl were together, not in the void, but rather outside near the water. This looked like the place that the dream would send her to observe the girl. This was an island. The vision of the two people together didn't last very long though. 36 saw them together for a few minutes before they disappeared into a mist. All that remained was 36, the water, and the wind blowing gently. 

          She awoke suddenly, head looking around frantically. She was bound to a cold metal chair, with cuffs closed tightly around her wrists and ankles. She tried to resist against the cuffs, shaking her fists. She was locked in securely. The room she was in was half lit, with the lights blazing down upon her in the chair. She was alone, for now at least. She tried to think back to how she got here, but could only remember what happened up to her passing out after being chased and shot at by mysterious people. 

          Just when she thought she could relax for a second, a door opened to her right and someone entered. Dressed in all black with a mask covering his face did a strange man enter the room. He was tall, towering over 36 as she sat restrained in the cold metallic chair. The man walked up to her, and knelt down to look her in the eyes. Thankfully they had left her goggles and head scarf on while she had been restrained. She looked at him, eyeing him up and down. Even if she could escape the chair, there's no way she could fight against him or who ever else was in this place. All these thoughts swirled through her head, she didn't hear him the first time he spoke. 

          "Who are you? How did you get aboard this ship?" He said in a deep voice. 36 blinked several times before looking away from the man. She felt like she had heard this voice before. He repeated the question more forcefully. 36 turned her head to look him in the eyes. "What happened? Where am I?" She asked innocently.

          The man stood up straight, tensing up. "I asked you, who are you? How did you get aboard my ship?" This time it was a demand for the answers. His voice was harsher. Her brows furrowed, confused, she thought about how to answer. She didn't want him to think she was lying, she was tired on having to convince others that she wasn't crazy. She took a deep breath, and decided she was going to tell the truth. 

          "My name is 36 and I don't know exactly how I got here." She said. The man seemed to not like this answer however. "What kind of name is 36? How do you not know how you got onto this ship?" He demanded, taking a step towards her, balling his fists. "My name is 36, it is the name I was given when I was younger. Like I said, I don't know how I got on board. I was there and then suddenly I was here. I honestly don't even know where I am."  The man seemed to stiffen. "Are you with the Resistance? Did they send you?"

          "The who? I don't know who they are." She said confused. The man was becoming increasingly angry at the responses she was giving. "Are you with the Resistance?!" He shouted at her. "Stop shouting at me!" 36 had been shouted at, tormented, and harassed her whole life. She was tired of people treating her like this and always tried to stand up to them. "Look, I will tell you everything I know, If and only if you stop shouting and getting mad at me. Oh and also if you uncuff me." She said as she straightened her back and raised her chin to meet his gaze. "And why would I do that?" He retorted slyly. "Do you want to know the truth or not?" She asked him simply. 

          He seemed to mull over this for a minute before nodding and waving his hand. Immediately the cuffs on her wrists unlatched but her ankles remained restrained. She figured that that was the most she could ask for before rubbing her throbbing arms. Every muscle in her body seemed to be sore and hurt. She clasped her hands and look at him. He reached up and pressed a button on his mask. It had a hissing noise before detaching and being removed from his head. The man who sat before her was the boy. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth parted as she started at him. It was the boy she had dreamed about on so many occasions. It was him, it was Ben.

         

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

          She was at a loss for words. She had known him and seen his so many times before yet she was a stranger to him. He blinked, face blank. "Are you going to stop staring and answer my questions?" His voice was lighter this time, not as demanding. 36 blinked several times before responding. "Umm, well like I said my name is 36. I got this name from my master, back on Kessel." Hearing this perked his attention. "Did you say you are from Kessel?"  He gazed at her, confusion flashed across his face for a split second before returning back to his blank state. "Yeah, I was taken there nine years ago. I hated it there, always asking when I could leave. Then one day it said its time and the next thing I know I was here." 

        "Who said this?" He asked calmly. She hesitated, unsure as to whether or not she trusted him enough to tell him about the voice. She didn't want someone else to look at her like she had lost her mind. She looked down at her hands, griping her pants tighter. "Why do you wear those goggles when you are no longer in those mines?" He asked plainly. "I can't not wear them. I'd been there so long my eyes couldn't take the light without them on now." He seemed to understand and nodded to this. "Who told you that it was time to leave? How did you escape that wretched planet?" She sighed. "Don't respond or judge me until you have finished hearing what I have to say. Everything I say will be nothing but the truth... Ben." She looked him in the eyes as he peered at her. He tensed up when she added his name. He exhaled loudly through gritted teeth. "Please wait till the end for an explanation. I promise you will understand as soon as I finish." Curiosity or something else lead Ben believe her and listen instead of harshly lashing out or angrily questioning her. There was something different about 36 that Ben couldn't identify. 

      He simply stood there, arms crossed, listening to the story she was telling. His face remained unchanged through it all despite the millions of questions he desired to ask her. She started with her beginnings before she ended up on Kessel. 36 said, "I was born on Ryloth but did grow up there. At seven my parents and older brother were killed and I was taken to Kessel. That's when I first heard it. The Voice."

 

 


	4. The Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter finally! I'm switching over the pov from 3rd to 1st person, hope yall like it. This will be more backstory on 36 and her connection to the voice and ben and rey. Enjoy my beauties :)
> 
> Xxebealer505

36's POV

 

         Remembering the past was hard for me, especially the time before Kessel. Not only was it painful but it was so long ago I had all but forgotten that time. That was another life I'd lived, a simpler and happier one. I looked at Ben and told him the truth. "I was a mere seven years old when I lost everything I had ever known or cared about. It was a muggy warm night, day after the harvest when my village was attacked. People in white armor tore through my town and through my life. There was a lot of screaming, crying, and loud shouting. The people in white were looking for something, or someone I don't really remember." I blinked, trying to remember that day exactly. "I had just come in for dinner with my family when the attack started. They came house by house, searching and shouting. My parents tried to save my brother and I, making us escape through the back window in the sleeping chambers. We ran as fast as we could into the thick jungle that surrounded our village. We hid in some thick brush, watching the onslaught from afar. They rounded up all the younger adults, making them kneel on the ground in a group. There was more shouting but I didn't know what they were saying. The next thing I knew, some of them were being shot at. Some tried to run, but  All that remained were the children and the elderly adults." 

          I stopped, tears welling up. I tried to ignore them and pressed on, continuing the story. "The people in white ordered the reset of us around, shouting louder and threatening them with their blasters. My brother wanted to go help them but I tried to get him to stay with me. He said to stay put and that he would be back for me. He left me crying in that brush as he went on to try and help. He was only eleven but acted like he was an adult too. The people in white eventually rounded up everyone that was left and moved them onto a transporter vehicle. I carefully crept towards it, hoping the survivors would help me. Just when I got close enough to the transporter, a ship zipped by overhead. There was more shouting and the people in white arranged in firing lines. More ships flew by, blasting the people in white." I grinned at this, but them immediately went blank when I remembered the next thing that happened. "A ship landed nearby the village. It was one of the ships that had flown by shooting at us. New people soon filled the village as they shot at the people in white. Some of them missed, hitting fellow villagers.  The second he was spotted by the new people  they aimed their blasters at him. He held his hands up but they..." I couldn't finish that sentence. The memory rose to the surface, the vision of that day was fresh in my mind.  Ben noted that I had stopped talking now, probably thinking that I was going to cry. I just sighed and continued on. "They shot him, for no reason it seemed. He tried to help, be the hero for once and they shot him. So now, still hiding in the brush I was crying hysterically and could barely see. Without thinking while the whole fight was still occurring I ran to his side. He was already gone but I thought that I could help save him. Be his hero. Well at the time the only thing that I could think of was to run to one of the elderly villagers and ask them to help. When I approached them on the transporter everyone ignored me, mostly crying and screaming to themselves. I ended up trapped in the vehicle as it closed its doors and headed away from the fight. 

          The transporter was heading to Kessel, where the remaining survivors would become slaves to the cartel. We were not more than a few parsecs away from Ryloth when I heard it. A voice called out to me saying, ' Child... all will be well. Trust.' I of course looked around, wondering who spoke to me. No one paid me any attention on the transporter. I didn't know at the time where we were heading but it seemed like everyone else did. When we arrived on the planet, adults were separated from the children. Half the children ended up being sent to the mines, while the other half were sent to to be cleaners. I was chosen along with the other twenty or so children to clean the quarters of the high ranking cartel officials that stayed on site on the planet. My master, whom I cleaned his quarters often, numbered all us children from the moment we were imprisoned on that planet. I was number 36 and that's how I got my name. I don't even remember my real name, before I came to Kessel. The whole time while I was a cleaner I heard the voice call to me. Teaching me new ways to survive. It helped me to not lose my sanity there. It was comforting to have someone to talk to even if they hardly responded to me and I wasn't entirely sure they existed at all to begin with. But until I was transferred to the mines, the voice rarely spoke to me. When I became eleven years of age, they made me go into the mines. I was the only child still left alive from those that had been taken from my home planet. I was a loner, outcast, freak. They barely fed us but a half of ration and one canteen of water daily. If you didn't die to the spiders or the elements, fatigue and malnutrition would do you in. I somehow have survived though. All those years because of the voice. The voice never explained who they were, why they spoke to me, only ever insisted that I keep trust and hope. It wasn't till I entered the mines did the dreams start." 

          I wondered how long I had been talking for. My mouth was dry and my throat ached. I tried to suppress a cough but in the end I was hacking. I felt like I was choking from the dryness in my mouth at this point. "May I please have some water Ben?" I asked, my voice hoarse. He flinched at hearing his name, I wondered why. "One moment." He said as he walked out of the room. A few minutes pasted before he returned with a bottle of water. I thanked him and gulped as much of it down as I could. 

          Once my thirst was sated, I coughed again and continued the story. "The dreams came to me when I slept each sleep cycle, like clockwork. I saw strange places and strange people. There were always the same two people though. A boy and a girl. Always the same two with a changing setting. I tried to get the voice to explain who they were and what it meant but it just said that I needed to observe. Observe the two people so that one day I could help them. " I looked directly into Ben's dark eyes. He was staring, wide eyed at me. " Who was this girl you saw?" He asked coldly. I shook my head, "I don't know, someone named Rey." The second I uttered her name he launched himself at me. A hand came up and forced my head back onto the cold metal frame of the chair. Confused and taken by surprise I gasped. "What are you doing?" I frantically tried to move him away from me. 

          "The girl, show her to me. What do you know about her? Where is she?" He demanded loudly. At this point, the sweet Ben from my dreams was replaced with something much darker and colder. "I.. I don't know Ben. Honest. Please stop you are hurting me." I pleaded. He continued to push my head back, restraining my arms. "Tell me everything about her, now, or I will take it all." This perplexed me. What was going on? Why was he acting this way? The Ben I'd come to know wasn't like this. As all these questions came to the light, that's when I heard it. 

          "Resist. Resist him." The voice said forcefully. I blinked several times, "What do you mean resist?" I asked it. Ben heard me, thinking that I'm talking to myself. "Was that the voice? Is it telling you to resist my power?" He sneered at this. A dark chuckle radiated out from him. I shook my head, closing my eyes. "Focus on resisting him." The voice practically shouted this at me. I squeezed my eyes harder together and thought about pushing everything away. Ben, these questions we both had, the voice, just everything. I screamed as I felt a pressure on my temples. I felt myself lash out, sending Ben flying backwards and into the wall. A tear ran down the left side of my face. What just happened? Did I do that? "You resisted, now it is time to leave. He is not ready yet." I looked around confused, Ben still was recovering from whatever I'd done. "What do you mean voice?" I cried out, tears now spilling down both sides of my face as they pooled in my goggles. Ben stood up, shaking, and made his way towards me. He was angry and had a dangerous look in his eyes. I closed my eyes and covered my face with my arms. "It's time you moved on." The voice said softly. 

         When I opened my eyes next, I was somewhere else, somewhere new. I was no longer with Ben, instead I was in a dark, windowless room. I was sat on the floor in the corner. I looked around, pressing my hands into the floor. It appeared as though I was in a sleeping chamber. My head throbbed painfully. I tried to rub my temples to alleviate some of the tension. This only seemed to make it worse though. With a terrible headache that caused my vision to blur, I tried to adjust my goggles to the darkness of the room. Immediately after I flipped the switch to change, did I see that I was in fact in a sleeping chamber. An occupied one. There, across the floor was a bed with a sleep individual. I knew before even looking at her that this was the girl. The voice had taken me to her. I sighed, feeling exhausted from my encounter with Ben. He was so unlike himself, the self that I'd come to know at least. I wonder if Rey is the same or if she too is different. 

         As if she had heard me in her sleep she bolted straight up gasping for air. Drenched in sweat, breathing heavy, Rey sat up and looked around frantically. She then relaxed once she was where she was. That was until she spotted me still sitting on her chamber room floor. Panicked now, I sucked in a quick breath. Immediately she jumped from her bed, grabbed this pole, and ran at me. I screamed as she charged me, pole raised to strike. I recoiled, throwing an arm up to defend my self and turning away from her. "Please, don't! You don't need to fear me Rey." I said in a gasp, my voice felt shaky though. I was trembling and I wasn't sure why. Would she attack me? Rey seemed to tense up more at the mention of her name. "Who are you? How do you know me? How did you get in here?" I tensed up too, closing my eyes and turning my head away from her. "I don't know honestly." Upon hearing this she shouted out, "Guards! Intruder!" I froze, oh no this would be just like what happened at with Ben. I was scared now, would they kill me? Torture me? Why did I listen to the voice when it's going to get me killed. 

          Not more than a minute passed before people flooded into the room. Most still clad in nightwear but still aiming weapons at me. I was cornered, my head ached, and my vision was going blurry. Fearing the worst I did what the voice had said to do before. Resist. I thought about pushing it all away. I screamed out, my voice going out from the strain. I sent the entire contents of the room full or people flying backwards to the floor. The magnitude of what I'd done had caused the ground to crack and some of the metal of the walls to concave. The last sight I had before passing out was one of confusion and curiosity from Rey. The darkness consumed me once more, and for once I welcomed it.


	5. The Girl

           I must have been out for several hours because when I woke my throat was dry and I struggled to sit up from the pain in my head. I was laying on a cold thin mattress in a dark and dirty cell. I rubbed my eyes, fighting the wave of nausea that came over me. What ever I had done in Rey's sleeping chambers had really taken its toll on me. It felt like every bone in my body hurt and all my joints felt stiff. Once I had cleared my head a bit, I tried to look around at my surroundings. It was just dark enough for me to see without the aid of my goggles, which I assume they confiscated sometime before I ended up in this cell. Without them I wouldn't get far, so I'd either be forced to find them myself or stumble around blind for a while. I sighed and rubbed my eyes again.

          I hadn't been without my goggles in a long time, so long that I was sure that my eyes would be unable to see without them if it was too bright out. I gazed around my barely lit room. It was dirty and grimy to say the least. Where ever these people and Rey were it was not the cleanest. Of course what did I care, Kessel was worse and I'm pretty sure I am now deemed dangerous to these people after that stunt I pulled in Rey's sleeping chamber. I just did what the Voice had said last time to do when I was confronted with Ben. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt or for that to happen on such a large scale. I just felt cornered, scared, and unsure about what to do. I know what I did probably didn't help my situation here. I tried calling out to the Voice, "Voice, where am I? What's going to happen to me?" There was a long silence before I heard a response. "Keep trust and hope. All will be well." Confused, I asked, "What does that mean?" But there came no response this time. ]

          I sighed again and just scooted to the back of the mattress that was pressed against the cold metal wall. I pulled my knees up to my chest and tucked my head down, closing my eyes. I was in a windowless cell with no idea of where I was or how I could get out of here. I didn't feel well enough to try and resist my way out of here so I was stuck until someone came. I just sat there, eyes closed; waiting for something, anything, to happen. Not more than a few minutes had passed before I heard foot steps approaching. I tensed up, eyes trained on the door to the cell. The door flung open, hitting the wall loudly. Immediately the cell was flooded with blinding light. I flinched away from this intrusion, shielding my eyes from the painful light. Tears formed as I tried not to let them swell over. I heard someone enter the room, followed by two others. I couldn't even attempt to look in their direction without feeling a burning sensation in my eyes. I turned, facing the wall away from them, still shielding my eyes from the light. I was so tense and folded in on myself that I hadn't even heard what was directed at me. 

         "You don't have to be afraid. We aren't here to harm you." A kind voice said. I was still faced away from them but managed to get something out. "Pain." I heard shuffling, followed by  a reply. "Are you injured?" "Bright...too bright." I said, this time more forceful. I heard murmurs and more shuffling as the door to the cell closed. The light dissipated, making the cell hospitable. I turned to face these people but kept my knees at my chest and my arms on them. I squinted at them as the kind voice spoke. "Is that better?" There was an awkward silence before she continued. "Sorry about all this, we just had to take the proper safety precautions. My name is Leia, who are you?" I locked eyes with her, seeing how honest and kind they were. I swallowed before speaking. "I'm 36. " This response seemed to amuse her and the two guards with her, even gauging a chuckle out of one of them.  "Oh, you hardly seem that old. Why you couldn't be more than twelve years." The guard on the right said amusingly. Leia coughed and turned towards him. "Now, that comment was hardly necessary." She then turned back to me. "I don't need to know your age, what is your name?" I narrowed my eyes, staring at her. "My name is 36." Leia seemed to be confused but that didn't last for more than a moment before asking another question. "Well, 36, how did you get here?" She seemed genuinely curious. I was weary of the guards on either side of her. They had their blasters aimed at me this whole time, so I was nervous. 

          As if she sensed my uneasiness, she waved the guards away. "I've got this boys, I don't think you are needed here. Go let the council know that I'm talking with the girl." They tried to protest but ultimately they obeyed her commands and left. Once the door closed and it was just her and I alone I relaxed a bit by lowering my legs to dangle off the side of the mattress. "I'm not twelve you know, I'm sixteen. And I don't really know how I got here, where ever here is." I said softly. I didn't trust this place after how things went with Ben's people and how I had reacted in Rey's room. Leia seemed confused and she knitted her brows at me. She walked a few steps closer to me, gesturing to the free space beside me on the mattress. I didn't respond so she took this as an invitation to sit. The mattress shifted under the new weight upon it, causing me to grip the sides of the mattress a bit.

         "Do you know who I am?" She asked tentatively. I shook my head. "Do you know who the Resistance are?" Again, unfamiliar with the name I shook my head again. Her face softened a bit and asked, "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" In this moment my stomach seemed to betray me as it rumbled loudly. She laughed and said, "I suppose that's a yes?" I grinned slightly before returning to my blank expression I normally wore. "This place is dark, dirty, and smells awful. How about we go get something to eat? We can talk some more after a nice meal, what do you say?" She said, standing , offering me a hand. I looked intensely at her outstretched hand. I cautiously grasped it and allowed her to pull me to my feet. I looked down at the ground, wrapping my arms around my head to shield my eyes from the incoming light. I guess she saw me tense up and cover my eyes and asked, "What's wrong?" I tightened my arms and said, "Light, too bright. Can't see." She seemed understand. "I will be right back, I'm going through the door now but I will be back, don't worry." She said gently. I nodded and turned to face the wall opposite the door. She left so quickly that the light didn't even phase me. Sighing, I stood there until she returned. She said she would be right back, and for some reason I believed her. 

        Not more than five minutes had passed  before Leia returned to the cell. Once the door was firmly closed, I lowered my arms and opened my eyes. In her hands, she held my precious goggles. I reached out for them, desperately. She pulled them away from me though saying, " Ah, ah, ah. If I allow you to have these, do you promise to cooperate? Answer our questions? Not knock anyone over?" I hung my head low and gazed at the ground. I nodded slightly. "Good, now here." She handed them to me. I put them on, a wave of comfort ran over me as I pulls the familiar leather strap over my hair. "Now that we got that taken care of, let's go get something to eat. We're both starving she said as she laughed and held a hand out for me to take. I grabbed it and went in front of her and opened the door. The light didn't penetrate my goggles so I could actually see. From there Leia led me towards the direction of food. I was hungry, so I went along with her. 

 

         We walked through various halls and down corridors. We took so many turns that soon I felt lost and dizzy. Eventually we ended up going up a set of stairs that led right to the front of a set of doors. Leia proceeded through the doors, but I hesitated to go through them. There was a large group of people inside eating, strangers that were probably armed. Anxiety built up in me, my palms started to sweat, and my breath became shaky. Noticing that I hadn't followed her in, Leia came back outside the dining hall. "Come on 36, no need to be shy. There's plenty of food." She said with a smile. This seemed to relax me a bit but i was still nervous. I nodded and followed after her. I kept my eyes trained at the ground as I felt everyone in the room staring at us as we approached the canteen line. Leia stood in front of me, which allowed for people to file in behind me. A few joined the line, I felt them boarding holes in my back as they no doubt-ably stared at me. I stepped closer to Leia as the line shifted. I didn't want to admit to myself that I was scared, but I was out of my element, surrounded by strangers, and who knows where. Leia sensed my nervousness and tried to talk to me about the food process. "Now, we don't have much when it comes to resources, so I hope you are hungry for rations." I didn't even respond to her, just staring at the ground trying to avoid anyone's gaze. When we finally made it up to the food I grabbed a single quarter portion and a cup for water. I followed Leia as she walked towards a table to sit. She chose a table in the front of the room that was a four person table pressed up against the far wall. I sat opposite to her, closest to the wall. I stared down at my tray, not wanting to scout out the room even though I desperately wanted to. I started to mix the portion with my water, watching it rise into a small rounded bread. I tore it into small pieces and ate them slowly. "Why didn't you get more to eat?" She asked curiously. I looked over at her tray, which had several ration portions on it. I looked back down at my own tray, not saying anything. 

          She sighed, "Now, didn't you just agree to answer some questions?" I didn't look up but I did nod. I tore another piece of my portion off, rolling it between my fingers. "We are only allowed to eat a quarter portion." I said hesitantly. "Was that a rule where you are from?" She inquired innocently. I nodded. "How about we make a deal?" Sensing that this sparked my interests she continued."You answer one of my questions and I'll answer a question you have? Is that fair?" I met her gaze,"Yes." She nodded at me, and proceeded to eat some more of her portions. I took a bit of mine as well as she asked me another question. "Where are you from?" I swallowed my bit, looking at her with a blank face. "I come from Kessel." She widened her eyes, "Where you born there?" I shook my head, "No, I was born on Ryloth and was taken to Kessel when I was seven years." She nodded, understanding what I'd just said. I tentatively asked her my first question. "Where am I?" This question seemed to cause her expression to scrunch up. "Well... that's confidential. This is a Resistance base. That's all I can say, sorry." She looked genuine in her words. I nodded, looking around the room for the first time since I'd walked into it. 

          Even though we had been here a while there were still quite a lot of people still staring at us. I lowered my gaze and focused on my food once more. "How did you end up on Kessel at such a young age and how did you survive this long?" I told her the truth. I told her the same story that I'd told Ben previously. I of course omitted the parts where I was with Ben and kept him and Rey out of the story entirely. I didn't entirely trust Leia yet enough to tell her about them. The whole time she listened without judgement, which was comforting. When I finished, most of the room had cleared out. My ration was cold now, but still edible. Once I'd finished I asked her who the Resistance were. I'd only ever heard about them when Ben was interrogating me. She proceeded to explain they were the good guys, fighting against the First Order, who were the bad guys. Ben was with the First Order and Rey was with the Resistance. I wanted to ask about Rey, but Leia asked me the question I was dreading. "36, if this Voice you communicate with transported you here, did it give you the power to use the Force in Rey's sleeping chambers or have you always had this ability?" I blanked at her question. What was the force? Is that what they call what I was able to do? Did the Voice allow me to do that? It had told me to resist with Ben, but not when I was surrounded in Rey's room. "I... I don't know. I didn't even know what that was. I was overwhelmed and cornered and lashed out. I'm.. I''m sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone." I said, my voice quivering. My throat seemed to be closing up as it was harder to breathe. She looked at me with soft eyes. "Oh sweetie, it's okay. No one was injured, maybe a bit stunned. You didn't do anything wrong, it's okay." She tried to reassure me. I felt anxious, my hands starting shaking. "Do you know what that was?" I shook my head no. "You used the force to do that. It's a power in everyone and everything. You seemed to be strong with it too." She said smiling. I sheepishly looked up at her, nodding at this. The force, did the Voice know about this? 

           "It's time, got to her." I heard the Voice whisper to me. Immediately, as if adrenaline coursed through me. I stood up, causing my chair to tumble backwards behind me. "Sorry, can I use the bathroom?" I asked her urgently. She nodded, pointing in the direction of a door to right of our table. "Through those doors, take a left and then another right and it should be there. If you want, I can accompany you." She responded. I quickly ran in their direction, shouting back to her, "I'm fine." I threw open the doors, and ran. It was just like on Ben's ship, I felt a pull in the direction I needed to go I guessed. This time, instead of running the whole time past everyone, I covertly walked by people, not looking directly at them. I turned down halls and corridors with precision. I needed to find Rey. "Close." The Voice said softly. I nodded, turning right down another hall. The walk way seemed familiar as I passed door after door. I think I was in the sleeping chambers area. I quickly found her door, the one I'd seen her enter so many times before in the dreams. I noticed the key pad, the thing that separated me from her. I raised my hand up slowly, pressing the same numbers I'd seem hundreds of times previously. Six, Three, Eight, Nine. The red light on the key pad blinked and changed to green as the door lock clicked and the door slide opened. I took two steps forward and stopped in my tracks. The door slide closed behind me as my back was pressed up against it. There she was, sitting at her desk. I held my hands up as she turned to face me. "Rey, I'm sorry but we need to talk." Her eyes widened, taking me in. She stood up, and started walking towards me. I stood there still, shaking slightly. "We need to talk about Ben." I said this and something shifted in her eyes. Before, they were defensive and wide, but now they had softened. She stopped a few feet from me, crossing her arms. "What about Ben? Who are you?" She asked curiously. I started to slowly lower my arms. "I'm here to help you and Ben. Please, just listen to what I have to say." She took this in, a moment of silence passed before nodding. I had almost relaxed, until I heard an alarm go off. Immediately Rey grabbed her pole again and pointed it offensively at me. My hands shot up once more and I widened my eyes in fear. Great, would I ever get to talk to her? I asked the Voice, "What do I do?" Almost like clockwork it responded with the same old line. "Keep trust and hope." I sighed, awaiting Rey's next move. I was trusting the Voice this time, and hoping that things would work out for the better. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I thought about what the Voice had told me.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is so late. I had a very busy week and weekend between school and work. I spent a lot of time working on this chapter in my head and finally found the time to write it down. Enjoy my beauties,  
> Xxebealer505


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry I've been gone for so long, will try to work on this over the weekend. I have been so swamped with work and school that I didn't have time to post anything. Like I said I will try to post the next couple chapters soon. I have to take a bit of a break as I can't write until I have a free moment from school and work. Posting soon, have hope and keep trust my beauties.  
> xxebealer505

I will be posting this weekend, keep hope and trust in me my beauties.


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